Seniors make a winning start to the league
Last Updated on Monday, 14 March 2011 04:39 Written by admin Monday, 14 March 2011 04:30
Competition: 2011 Senior Hurling League – Round 1
Result: Thurles Sarsfields 1-14 Drom-Inch 2-15
The opening game of this year’s county senior league took place on Saturday afternoon in the outside field in Thurles. On a cold damp afternoon, conditions were not favourable for hurling with grass at a minimum on a heavily poached pitch. With both teams short several players due to injuries, county commitments and U21 matches, the game started in scrappy fashion as players took time to come to terms with the conditions. Drom Inch were first to register with a pointed free from Johnny Ryan. The sides exchanged further scores through Jerome Ryan and Johnny Enright. Enright operating at midfield was controlling matters and picked off further scores whilst also setting up points for O’Brien and Ruth. Paddy Kennedy was starting to dominate his area at wing forward and added a point before offloading to Micheal Butler who levelled matters at 0-5 apiece. Enright added a further pointed free as Drom’s discipline was beginning to become undone. Johnny Enright was a constant thorn in the visitor’s side popping up every where and in the dying minutes of the half Enright ghosted in along the end line and finished to the net to leave the hosts leading at the break by 4 points.
Half Time score Thurles Sars 1-6 Drom Inch 0-5
Drom-Inch introduced Macdara Butler at half time to replace Declan Ryan and it proved to be a great switch with Butler making an immediate impact scoring a point following a pass from Paddy Kennedy. Thurles Sarsfields replied with a brace of points from Enright but Drom-Inch pegged them back again this time the scores coming from the Ryan brothers Matthew and Johnny. Ger “Redser” O Grady increased Sars’ lead to 4 points again with a trademark catch from the puck out and sent it over the bar. Micheal Butler and John Lawlor traded points with Butler now covering every inch of the park. The turning point in the game came when a long delivery was fielded by Macdara Butler and offloaded to Matthew Ryan who shot across the goals and was bundled over the line in by the onrushing Cathal Flynn. This left the minimum between the sides before Conor Maloney scored a point at the other end. Johnny Ryan scored 2 more impressive points to leave the game level with 5 minutes remaining. Micheal Butler and Johnny Enright exchanged scores with Butler coming out on top three points to Enright’s two. This left Drom-Inch winning by two points with time running out before Johnny Enright reduced matters to the minimum before Macdara Butler caught a high delivery and finished to the net right on the stroke of full time. The second half really got going as a contest with the standard of hurling improving dramatically and this game could of went either direction right up to the final whistle.
Full Time Score: Thurles Sarsfields 1-14 Drom-Inch 2-15
Drom Inch had some fine performances on the day with centre back Johnny Ryan dominating from centre back and picked off some vital scores also as well as showing a fantastic ability to read the game. He was assisted by his wing back James Ryan who done a good job on keeping his marker quiet. However the performances of the day were put in by Micheal Butler and Paddy Kennedy as they set up attacks time and time again in the second half with the former scoring 5 points from play whilst also stamping his authority on the game in the second half. Kennedy enjoyed better success in the second half winning 3 frees and giving off 2 assists all of which were converted. Drom-Inch will however be somewhat concerned with their erratic shooting as they clocked up 12 wides to Sars’ 6 wides but this is to be expected for a team in mid March.
Scorers:
Drom Inch: Micheal Butler 0-5, Macdara Butler 1-1, Johnny Ryan 0-4 (0-3 frees), Cathal Flynn 1-0, Matthew Ryan 0-2, Jerome Ryan 0-2 (0-1 free), Paddy Kennedy 0-1
Thurles Sarsfields: Ger O Grady 0-1, Johnny Enright 1-8 (0-4 frees), Tony Ruth 0-2, Michael O Brien 0-1, John Lawlor 0-1, Conor Maloney 0-1
Teams:
Drom Inch: Damien Young, Matthew Buckley, Donncha Kennedy, Martin Butler, James Ryan, Johnny Ryan, Paul Stapleton, Micheal Butler, Liam Ryan, Jerome Ryan, Eric Woodlock, Joe Lupton, Matthew Ryan, Paddy Kennedy, Declan Ryan.
Subs: Macdara Butler for Declan Ryan (H-T), Joe Egan for Liam Ryan (48m), Cathal Flynn for Jerome Ryan (50m)
Thurles Sarsfields: Bill McCormack, Michael Collins, David Kearns, Brendan O Sullivan, Eoin Russell, David Kennedy, Barry O’ Dwyer, John Maher, Johnny Enright, Alan Kennedy, John Lawlor, Ger O Grady, Michael O’Brien, John Joe Bourke, Tony Ruth.
Subs: Tom King for M Collins, Pa Dunne for B O’ Dwyer, Ian Maher for E Russell, C Maloney for JJ Bourke.
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